This instrument was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of Member States of the Organization of African Unity (now African Union – A.U), at its Sixth Ordinary Session on 10 September, 1969 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

These Heads of State and Government, assembled from 6-10 September 1969, and having recognised the need for an essentially humanitarian approach towards solving the problems of refugees, adopted this convention to help address the many challenges that refugees in Africa are confronted with.

The convention entered into force on 20 June, 1974 in accordance with its Article XI.